Portable enclosure



Oct. 28, 1952 J. B. RADART PORTABLE ENCLOSURE 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Filed June 5, 1949 Armrney Oct. 28, J, B, RADAR-|- PORTABLE ENCLOSURE 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 IIIIIIII. Il

Filed June 3, 1949 Atlorney Patented Oct. 28, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEv .lohn B; Radart, Minneapolis, Minn.`

Application .lune 3, 1949, Serial No. 96,915

This invention relates to a portable enclosure which is capable of being readily assembled or dismantled and which may be stored in a compact bundle in a-dismantled condition or conveniently carried asa bundle on a carrier mounted on top of an automobile.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a portable enclosure primarily adapted for use for winter fishing through ice to afford shelter and protection to the user or which may be employed kas a portable enclosure for hunters.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portable enclosure which is extremely light in weight and which is composed of only four parts, when dismantled, whichL may be conveniently stacked in a compact bundle.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide an enclosure which will be relatively warm and which'may be heated by a portable stove or other heating means.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide an enclosure having novel interlocking means for connecting the side and end walls thereof together and yfor connecting said walls to the roof and floor of the enclosure.

Variousother objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational View showing the enclosure assembled;

Figure 2 `is a horizontal sectional view thereof taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2-,2 of Figure l;

Figure is a vertical sectional View of the enclosure taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3 3 of Figure V1 and on an en-v larged scale;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, taken at right angles to Figure 3 and substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing portions of a side wall and end wall in a folded or collapsed position;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view showing a portion of a side wall and a portion of the roof in spaced, disconnected relationship, and

Figure 7 is a View similar to Figure 6 but illustrating a portion of an end wall and a portion of the floor.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the

i Claim. (ci. ,2o-2) 2 novel portable enclosure in its entirety is designated generally I0 and includes generally a floor II,a front wall I2, a rear wall I3, corresponding end walls I4 and a roof I5.

kThe floor Il is composed of a plurality of boards I6 which extend transversely thereof and which are disposed with their edges in abutting engagement. Each of the boards I6 is suitably secured to a plurality of wood strips or cleats I1 which extend along the underside thereof and longitudinally of the fioor Il and which are adapted to rest on a supporting surface for supporting the boards I6 in a slightly elevated position. The boards I6 are v also connected by strips I3, likewise preferably formed of wood and which combine to form a frame extending along the sides and ends of the oor II and which are secured to the upper sides of the boards I6. The floor II at diagonally opposed corners thereof is provided with openings I9 and the boards I6, around said openings I9, are reinforced by portions of the frame I8 and by additional reinforcing strips 20 which are secured to the upper surfaces of the boards I6 along the inner edges of the openings I9, preferably by driven fastenings 2i.

Each of the walls I2, I3 and I4 is preferably composed of a strip of heavy pressed paper 22 which is reinforced along its edges by an interior frame 23 formed of laths and likewise on its outer side by an exterior frame 24 which is likewise formed of laths. In lieu of the pressed paper strips 22, plywood may be employed.

The end walls I3 are each preferably provided with an opening 25 forming a window and whichis reinforced around its edges on its inner and outer sides by lath frames 26 and which openings may, if desired, be provided with a, pane of'any suitable, preferably flexible transparent material. AOne end wall I4 is connected adjacent one vertical edge thereof to the front wall I2 by hinges 2l which are secured to the inner frame members' thereof, as best illustrated in Figure 5, and the other end wall I4 is similarly hinged to the rear wall I3. Said hinged corners are located diagonally to one another, as best seen in Figure 2. The other ends of the front and rear walls I2 and I3 are provided with hooks 2S which are fastened to the inner frames 23 thereof for engaging eyes 29, fastened to the inner frames of the end walls I4 and which hooks and eyes are internally disposed with respect to the enclosure. As illustrated in Figure 5, the outer frames 24 of the end walls It overlie the inner frames and strips 22 thereof and the inner frames of the front and rear walls are inset with respect to the outer frames thereof and the strips 22. The strips 22 and outer frames 24 of the front and rear walls also project outwardly beyond the inner frames 23 and strips 22 of the end walls so that an overlapping interlocked joint will be formed by said parts 22, 23 and 24 when the end walls are disposed at right angles to the front and rear walls, as illustrated in Figure 2.

Likewise, the inner frame members or laths 23 at the bottom edges of the front and rear and end walls extend downwardly to below the outer frames and strips 22, as seen in Figures 3 and 4 and said bottom interior frame members 23 Vare of a size to fit snugly against the inner surfaces of the frame I8 and so that the bottom edges of the lower frame members 24 and strips 22 will rest on the upper surfaces of the frame members I8. Accordingly, it will be noted that the floor I16,including the frame I8 is larger than the cross sectional area'ofv-the front,rear and'side walls when extended; as seen in Figure 2. The 'bottom` andinner lath vframe 23 and an outer lath frame 24; 'Asbest seen in Figures 4 and 6, the innerlath frame' 23 of thereof I5 is insetto fit within the upper edges of the'walls I2,v I3 and I4 and so that the roof-piece 22 will rest on 'the upper edgesiof said walls and'extendoutwardly slightly beyondthe outer frame 24 thereof. The inner frame` 2'3o`f theroof I5 is providedy w-ithdepending hooks 32 1for detachably engaging eyes 33 which are anchored to and-project'inwardly from theiupper edges of the-inner Vframes -23 of the wallsI2,l I3 andIll for detachably'fastening the roof thereon.

The'irontwall I2 is provided with a door` openi-ngv34 Iwhich extends upwardly from the upper' edgel of `the bottom portionV of its frame and whichfis reinforcedbyanexterior and interior'frame :formed of lath strips 35 and said frontwall is provided with a panel portion 36 disposed above the door'opening and reinforced byan additional lath frame 37 on both sides thereof; A door, designated generally 38 whichy is composed of a strip of the ymaterial 22 sized to fit the door opening 34 and which is reinforced on its'inner side by a lath frame 39 and onY its outer sideby a lath frame` 40 is hingedly mounted in the'door opening'34 by'vertically spaced externally disposed` hinges 1li.l The upright side portion 1ofthe inner frameA 35,opposite to the edge of the door opening provided with the hinges 4I,v overlies said door opening'as seenv at 42 to provide a stop against which the free edge of the door abuts when in a fully closed position. A hook andeye fastening 43 which is mounted on the interior of the enclosure I0 detachably retains the door 38 in a closed position and a knob i4 lon the outer side of said door is utilized to open -thedoor, when in an unlatched position. The 'complementary internal and external lath frames'v are connected together and to the strips 22 fbydriven 'fastenings 45,` as best seen in Figure l.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that by disengaging the hooks 28 from the eyes 29, the hooks 39 from the eyes 3I and the hooks 32 from the eyes 33, that the roof I5 can be detached from the walls I2, I3 and I 4 and said walls detached from the floor II after which the end wall I4 which is hinged to the front wall I2 may be swung to a folded position against the inner side thereof and the other end wall similarly positioned against the inner side of the rear wall I3. These two units may then'be laid upon the door I I and the roof I 5 superimposed thereon to position the dismantled enclosure I 0 as a compact bundle formed of four parts which may be conveniently stored or transported as on the roof topcarrier of an automobile, not shown. Likewise, the enclosure may be readily assembled by setting up the front wall and one end wall on the oor I I and attaching said parts by the hook and eye fastenings 33, 3l after which the other end wall-and rear wall I3 are similarly assembled on theoor I5. YTheother two ends of the-walls I2 and I3 areY then connected to the free ends of the end walls I4 by the hook and eye fastenings 28, 29 after which the roof I5 is applied'and secured by the hook and eye fastenings 32, 33. v l

The enclosure IIl] is adapted to be disposed, when-used for fishing-on a frozen body ofwater, withthe'openings'fI-Q disposed over two holescut in they ice so that theoccupants may fish through such-holes and the 'openings I9. rThe enclosurel Iii may be heated by a small portable stove and at least one of the window openings '25 maintained open to aiord ventilation andescape for products of combustion wheny a heater is employed.

Obviously, the enclosure IB may be made in various sizes and various other modifications andl Al portable enclosure of the character (ie-' scribed composed entirelyof fourunits includ-.

ing two substantially flat rigid units fand `two corresponding units each formed Vof two rigid sections, thesections of each of said last mentioned units being hingedly connected-at com-r plementary ends thereof, said .rigid sections` forming walls, fastening means detachably. connecting the free ends of the section of the two units when the sections of each unit are disposed at r1ght angles to one another, each-of--said sections including marginal portions-composed of at least three plies, certain of said` pliesy being disposed in steppedrelationship, and the plies of different sections. beingl arranged indifferent stepped relationship to provide interttingA lapped joints vbetween Athe sections which are hingedly, connected vand the sections which *are connected by saidfastening means, one-of said... rigid flat units comprising a floor having anvupstanding. marginal` frame, saidl sections having bottom vedges resting on said framey and provided with internally disposed depending flanges each formingone of said marginal plies and engaging against .a part of the inner side ofthe frame of the-loor and cooperating with the fastening means and hingedly connected portions of the sections and said lapped joints to maintain said sections in rigid upright positions, and saidv other rigid flat unit constituting a roof supported i on the upper edges ofsaid sections in overlapping 5 relationship thereto and having cleats on its inner side abutting against the inner surfaces of said sections for maintaining the upper portions of said sections rigid with respect to one another.

l JOHN B. RADART.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Deveau Aug. 23, 1898 Number Number 10 Number 

